1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sintered metal oxide for thermistors used for, for example, temperature measurement of automobiles, a thermistor element, a thermistor temperature sensor, and a method for producing a sintered metal oxide for thermistors.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, thermistor temperature sensors are employed as temperature sensors for measuring a catalyst temperature, an exhaust-gas system temperature, or the like around automobile engines. A thermistor element used for the thermistor temperature sensor is employed, for example, as a temperature sensor for the aforementioned automobile-related technologies, information equipment, communication equipment, medical equipment, home facility equipment, and the like. For such a thermistor element, a sintered body element made of an oxide semiconductor having a high negative temperature coefficient is used.
Conventionally, a thermistor element consisting of various sintered metal oxides has been used. As an exemplary representative material, Y(Cr, Mn)O3-type perovskite oxides may be included as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and Non-Patent Document 1.